Gov’t sets price range for COVID-19 RT-PCR testing

FILE PHOTO: A vendor at Pritil Public Market gets a free swab test amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Tondo, Manila, Philippines, October 8, 2020. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez

MANILA, Philippines — The government has set the price range for reverse transmission – polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) COVID-19 testing in private and public laboratories.

In an online press briefing Wednesday, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III announced that RT-PCR testing, the gold standard in detecting the presence of coronavirus, in public laboratories will be priced at P3,800 per test.

For private laboratories, the price should be between P4,500 up to P5,000.

Duque said the price range was reached through a “deep market study” by the Department of Health and the Department of Trade and Industry.

“Pwedeng bumaba sila sa ating price ceiling pero ‘wag silang lalagpas doon. Iyon ang general principle that is pertinent to this JAO (Joint Administrative Order),” he said.

The price range was imposed in accordance with President Duterte’s order to the agencies to implement a ceiling on the price of COVID-19 testing and test kits to ensure its accessibility and affordability.

EDV